Director recommends a first for intersection projectBy Sean IngramNews Editor

Is the city of Russellville ready for a roundabout intersection, European style?

From an economical and safety standpoint, yes, aldermen and Public Works Director Morgan Barrett agreed Tuesday during the Russellville City Council's Finance Committee and agenda preparation meetings at City Hall.

Following a review of the council's short July 20 meeting agenda and discussion of Public Works appropriations, Barrett said plans began a year ago to improve the intersection of West 12th Street, South Vancouver and West 14th Street.

Barrett said West 14th would be the extension of the West 14th-West 16th Corridor, which would connect the new 16th Street extension and complete a new east-west artery through the city.

Barrett said the initial design wasn't a favorite because 12th Street reached a dead end into Vancouver. Motorists would have to turn left from 12th onto Vancouver, then left again to reach the 14th-16th corridor. Barrett said he still anticipated a high volume of traffic in the area, with its proximity to Sequoyah Elementary to the east and the intersection location in front of Shadow Lake Apartments.

He said he didn't like four stop options, and didn't like that alignment because of the possible traffic jams it would cause on 12th Street.

Aldermen reviewed the old plan Tuesday and got a glimpse into the possible future of intersections throughout the country.

It's called a roundabout and includes four roadways or streets coming to an intersection that would be governed not by four-way stop signs or traffic signals, but a circular center and yield positions where motorists would yield, go in the right direction only until they reached their street or roadway.

"This would allow traffic to move different directions more efficiently than a four-way stop," Barrett said. "It's controlled by yield signs, right turn only, and you must go right only to enter the intersection. They're effective and efficient on moving traffic. With the volume that's anticipated in each direction, that's probably the fairest way to provide movement through the intersection.

"You're not going straight through the intersection. You're going through the circle."

Barrett said the roundabout intersection would cost more than the original design because of the oval design and concrete in the middle. Aldermen said safety considerations would make up for the cost difference. Russellville Police Chief James Bacon agreed.

"Like Morgan said about the first plan, when you have to stop and make a left turn, then stop again and turn left, you're creating a traffic problem," Bacon said. "If there's any amount of traffic wanting to make that left turn, then they're getting caught with another stopping situation."

Plans are being finalized, and the project is scheduled to bid next February. The West 14th-West 16th Corridor is included in the city's five-year Capital Improvement Program (CIP) and is scheduled to cost $2 million.

Barrett and Mayor Raye Turner also told aldermen negotiations and permit work continue on joining North Phoenix Avenue with Reasoner Lane and Scenic State Highway 7.

He said talks continue with ATU on the geology of the section of roadway through the campus, and a permit and design plans have to be submitted to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) for approval.

That project, also part of the city's CIP, is scheduled to cost $2.2 million.

Field trip

Aldermen decided to take a field trip Aug. 17 prior to the August council meeting to tour areas of the city and share their ideas and concerns.

"We have an area come up, and we know when it comes up to the council, everybody is thinking something different," Alderman and Personnel Committee Chairman Ronnie Tripp said. "So, we pick several areas of the city, get a van, ride to them and get each person's opinion of what you've got going on and writing up an ordinance better."

Tripp suggested the idea of a tour after two old business items on the July 20 meeting agenda were mentioned. consideration of an ordinance to amend the land and subdivision code to establish regulations for metal buildings in commercial and residential districts. The other is reviewing ordinances and/or land subdivision codes regulating property maintenance.

Tripp also asked about how many vehicles could park at or in front of a residence. He said he had a resident tell him about seven vehicles near one residence.

The other old business item on next week's meeting agenda includes reviewing communication with City Corp., including fire protection policy and the recently passed 2006-07 water utility's budget.

New business items include a public hearing and ordinance to rezone property from R-4 (residential) to C-2 (commercial) at 101 Gayla, submitted by Mike Bubbas and approved by the Planning Commission.

Consider public hearing and ordinance to rezone property from R-4 to C-2 at 311, 313, 319, 327 and 331 Weir Road, submitted by Regional Rentals Inc. and approved by the Planning Commission.

Consider an appointment for Regional Airport Commission. John Harris has announced his resignation.

Appropriations

$1,600 to fund Police Pension Board legal research;

$35,000 to fund city's portion of West Main Place/14th Street construction project;

$6,000 to fund city's portion of B Street bridge project.

Roundabout history and safety

The first modern roundabout was constructed in New York City in 1904. However, the widespread use of roundabouts began when British engineers reengineered the traffic circle in the mid-1960s to overcome its limitations of capacity and for safety issues.

Unlike traffic circles, roundabouts operate with yield control to give priority to circulating traffic and eliminate much of the driver confusion associated with traffic circles and driver wait associated with junctions that have traffic lights.

Roughly the same size as signalised intersections with the same capacity, roundabouts also are significantly smaller in diameter than traffic circles, separate incoming and outgoing traffic with pedestrian islands and therefore encourage slower and safer speeds.

Roundabouts are safer than both traffic circles and traditional intersections -- having 40 percent fewer vehicle collisions, 80 percent fewer injuries and 90 percent fewer serious injuries and fatalities, according to a study of a sampling of roundabouts in the United States compared with the intersections they replaced.

Roundabouts also significantly reduce points of conflict between pedestrians and motor vehicles and are therefore considered to be safer for them. However, roundabouts, especially large fast moving ones, are unpopular with some cyclists. This problem is sometimes handled on larger roundabouts by taking foot and bicycle traffic through a series of underpasses.

In addition to improved vehicle and pedestrian safety, and in spite of lower speeds, roundabouts dramatically outperform traffic circles in terms of vehicle throughput and, because a roundabout's circular traffic is always moving, they outperform ordinary junctions with traffic signals as well.

However, due to the fact vehicle traffic must yield instead of stop, there are some safety concerns for bicyclists who cycle alongside the road and especially for persons with visual impairments. Safety concerns for the second group of people is especially important in countries that have legislation protecting the rights of people with disabilities.

This issue has led to a mutually frustrating conflict in the United States between the visually impaired and civil engineering communities; the visually impaired have taken the position that roundabouts are acceptable only if there are pedestrian crossings with lights at each road connecting to a roundabout.

Although such crossings would reduce the possibility that a blind pedestrian might be run over by vehicles entering or exiting the roundabout at unsafe speeds, they would also increase the cost of a roundabout and decrease its throughput.

In addition, roundabouts do not cope well with the traffic on motorways or similar roads, thus leading to long queues. Britain's strategic road network has many isolated roundabouts on otherwise almost motorway-like roads and even on motorways. Some of these roundabouts, as well as other busy roundabouts, have had traffic lights added and are termed "signal controlled roundabouts".

Roundabouts are not suitable for junctions with high traffic volume. When traffic congestion occurs in one direction, it would quickly block a roundabout and spread to all other entering directions. The congestion would be further deteriorated by large number of long vehicles like container trucks.